Sina Yussuff (b. 1945-1995) was a distinguished artist in residence at York College during the academic year 1992- 93. Yussuff was born in Ijebu-ode, Ogun State, Nigeria.1 He earned his BFA in 1972 from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and continued post graduate work in Art Gallery and museum studies at the University of Manchester, England.

After much struggle, Nigeria gained its independence from Britain in 1960. Yussuff, as a teacher, administrator and practicing artist, was an active participant in Nigeria’s nation building process. His paintings, murals and sculptures earned him high praise as an important contributor to Nigerian visual art.

A well traveled individual, Yussuff took inspiration from the diverse environments he experienced. Pray America and Landscapes II, both hanging in our library, are two of several Yussuff paintings to be found on the York College Campus. Landscape II, a sunset falling over York’s campus, documents his visit to Jamaica, Queens. Standing before the picture, you can almost feel the sun’s warmth radiating off the canvas. Enveloped in this vibrant sky, a couple becomes a part of the magnificent skyline. Yussuff placed a color bar, an art teacher’s tool, in the bottom left hand corner. It seems to be a reminder that color contrasts bring a painting to life as much as variety and diversity brings our campus to life. Though each painting is unique, Yussuff’s use of color makes his work immediately identifiable.